Red Rock West – linked review

So now we go back to the Nineties. While the Tarantinos, Coens, Lynchs, and Manns were busy shooting homages to the great film noir classics, a new breed of movie appeared. They were a new generation of B-movies. Made by no-name directors and frequently starring actors that nobody has ever heard of, they were made on tiny budgets and pulled in even smaller profits. These are the true successors to the classic film noir. They were films like Miami Blues (1990) by George Armitage, The Hot Spot (1990) by Dennis Hopper, and the masterpiece After Dark, My Sweet (1990) by James Foley. Many were based off classics by the legendary noir authors like Jim Thompson, Charles Williams, and Elmore Leonard. Most of these films have been forgotten. And why not? Nobody heard of them, and even fewer went to see them. But many of them were genuine works of art that shared a kindred spirit with the works of Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder, and John Huston. One of the best films that came out of this era was the devastatingly powerful Red Rock West (1992).

Brian is the non-fiction editor of Spinetingler magazine and one of the fiction editors of Snubnose Press. In addition to Spinetingler his work has appeared in Crimespree magazine and at BSC Review, Galleycat and the Mulholland Books website. He also heads the Spinetingler Award committee.

One Response to Red Rock West – linked review

Love me some Red Rock West. Caught it back when it came out, and I find that even all these years later, I’m still recommending it to people. And if I happen past it channel surfing, said surfing stops.